


Assassins For Hire

by spacetimerift



Category: The Lobby
Genre: Alternate Universe, I had a thought and now I can't sleep, Lobby AU - Unspecified Magical Society, Other, also everyone has codenames I'll include a key, kinda mildly steampunk? but like not really if you get me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24730843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacetimerift/pseuds/spacetimerift
Summary: The Lobby is an elite group of assassins with a perfect kill record. Their identities have been speculated to the stars and beyond, but no one has come close to tracking them down. This is their story and their... unique style of operation.
Relationships: Gerard | Gee/Judas (The Lobby), Nine/Moon (The Lobby)
Kudos: 6





	1. Collua Central

**Author's Note:**

> Codenames are as follows:  
> Dave - Lion  
> Gerard - Bonfire  
> Judas - Stormcloud  
> Noah - Shadow  
> Nine - Reaper  
> Runo - Timekeeper  
> Moon - Mage  
> Kitkat - Knight  
> Pam - Tsunami  
> Quin - Stardust

Runo tapped her holowatch as she scanned the bay into which the airship was unloading. “All clear so far,” she said calmly, never letting her eyes rest on a single passenger or crate for too long, “if the target is here, she’s under heavy camouflage. You reading me, Knight?”  
Kitkat’s reply crackled through her earpiece. “Loud and clear, Timekeeper,” she said, “be on the lookout for a plainclothes government manifestor. Need me to remind you of the uniform?” She asked, teasing her fellow assassin to distract from the stress of the mission. Runo only chuckled in response before switching her communications back to idle.  
~~~  
Dave crouched on the rooftop, hiding his small body amongst the untamed weeds with careful expertise. He really hated being lookout sometimes, even if he was one of the best suited for the job. Moving carefully, slow and quiet, he raised his binoculars and adjusted the specs to best suit his latest target.  
Working with an efficiency many automatons would be jealous of, he located the docks and focused on the road Noah and Nine had declared most likely for their target to follow should she escape Runo’s watchful eyes.  
With swift precision, he swept the intersections and alleyways in sequence, careful not to allow any movements to escape his notice. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of light, but brushed it off on the assumption that it was an unattended mirror or other piece of glass. Moments later, the flash came again and continued to appear and disappear. “Shit,” the purple-haired man muttered, reaching into his vest pocket.  
~~~  
Gerard carefully adjusted his coat to conceal the shape of his swords as he waited patiently for his signal. Glancing at Judas, who sat across the table from him, he gestured questioningly towards the meeting point. Too quickly and subtly for anyone around them to notice, his partner shook their head. _Not yet_ , they thought, though their hand in Gerard’s told him they were thrilled at the prospect of this kill.  
Had anyone looked closely at the two’s entwined hands, they might have seen a small mark tattooed on each of their wrists. The lantern nearly seemed to cast light into the air around it at times, but only ten of those who has seen the spectacle were alive to tell the tale. And the café stayed a little gathering place, calm before a storm it could not detect, with two of the most dangerous people in the country sipping coffee undisturbed.  
~~~  
“Moon. Anything yet?” The manifestor in question shook their head, brushing waves of hair out of their eyes for the fifth time in as many minutes, and let their eyes continue to scan across the bookstore shelves. Their mission partner responded with a solemn nod and returned to his charade of perusing the displays. Unbeknownst to the shop’s owner, his hand occasionally twitched on the wood of his supposed walking stick, itching for a chance to use the quarterstaff. Still, he retained his impassive expression and waited as patiently as he could for a status update from Runo or Dave.  
Unexpectedly, his earpiece let out a squeal of static followed by Dave’s voice, repeating the same five words over and over. “Reaper, this is a mayday.” Instantly, he turned back to Moon, flashed the danger handsign, and stalked over to the entrance and out, cape sweeping behind him.  
~~~  
Quin floated carefully over the group’s city map, tracing random patterns across it. Though she seemed the opposite, she was on maximum alert, actively analyzing everyone and everything that crossed into her sphere of awareness. To her right, Noah was pressed against a wall, blending into it like he was born to do so.  
Behind her was nothing but an overturned wastebin and two alley cats arguing over the contents. Idly, she wondered what Dave would have heard them saying.  
Her senses picked up a gust of wind, coming from the south. _Strange,_ she thought, _I could have sworn the current was northwest._ She turned to evaluate the source, and saw a scarecrow of a man approaching. Relaxing, she greeted Nine with a small nod and a concerned expression. “Trouble in the east,” he said, without preamble, “Lion’s spotted the party.”  
~~~  
“Shit!” yelped Pam as she dropped her scarf again. A few people shot her disapproving glances, and she mentally flipped them off. As if she had time for this bullshit, the mission was in danger of near-failure, which simply would not do for their reputation. Firmly buttoning her jacket, she set off toward the center of town at a rapid pace.  
A third of the way there, she spotted Moon leaving their standby position. The two acknowledged each other in their own way, but stayed separate as they continued along the winding streets. _Any news?_ signed Moon, feigning a need to scratch their face. _Target arrived by train, not air,_ Pam flashed back, _time of the essence._  
Again, the assassins shared a significant look and continued on their path with an aura of determination that set them apart from the crowd.  
~~~  
Gerard felt his lungs start to burn as he raced across buildings, cursing himself for taking rooftop tail duty. Dave bounded along beside him, looking as natural on all fours as any feline. Neither of them made a sound as they ran and leapt, keeping flush with the incoming party.  
On the ground, Noah helped Judas to slip in and out of shadowed doorways and sewer grates as they gathered the energy for a lightning strike. Both Gerard and Dave could feel the air starting to crackle and their hair started to stand on end. At the moment, all they could do was hope their targets hadn’t sensed it yet and stay prepared to strike.  
With a scream, Judas unleashed their stored power on the target, the lightning bolt landing like a rift in the sky and blowing away her guards. Immediately, Gerard and Nine leapt in to take on close fighting, swords and staff flashing in the remaining werelight as their squad closed in.  
Within seconds, the noblewoman and her entourage were eliminated, leaving little but a few charred pieces of fabric and gold coins rattling on the pavement.


	2. Midnight Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judas-centric mild angst because auGH I love them, the bastard

Judas sat up abruptly in the bed they shared with Gerard, struggling for air and hypersensitive to the droplets of sweet cooling against their skin. After performing a cursory sweep of the room, they relaxed slightly, alone with their husband, their thoughts, and the moonlight sifting through the curtains.  
Sighing, they slipped out from under the covers and started to get dressed, uncaring of the time of night but careful not to wake Gerard. A few minutes later, they opened the window and slipped out into the quiet streets, jogging soundlessly across the pavement.  
After a half hour of scaling buildings and a few too many dangerous jumps, they sat down on the on the tiled roof of Collua’s temple, leaning against the upward jut of the belltower.  
They steadfastly ignored the freezing wind that threatened to chill their bones, focusing instead on the view of the city at night, dark and foreboding. It was the way Judas nearly wished it could be at all times. Still, they appreciated that it was a special moment for them to observe such a peaceful, shadowed sight.  
Turning their gaze to the stars, they sat stockstill on the rooftop, losing themself in the balance of slumber and waking that supported the city’s life.  
“Couldn’t sleep?”  
Judas nodded without sparing Nine a glance, only gesturing that the man could sit beside them if he so desired. His footsteps padded towards them, then he settled himself near them with his feet dangling over the plaza. Recognizing their need for silence, he extended a hand towards them, silently asking permission. Judas reached out, softly touched his index finger for a couple seconds, then retreated beneath their cloak.  
Nine made a soft noise of understanding before laying back against the smooth tiles. “He loves you, you know,” he commented, “hell, he’d marry you in a heartbeat.”  
Judas chuckled at that, remarking “that does sound like him.” They smile a little, thinking back to the first time they’d absently brushed stray hair off Gerard’s neck and the way he’d squeaked at the action. “Only wish I could get it into my head for good,” they said, sighing a small cloud into the slowly warming air.  
Nine hummed his acknowledgment, remaining transfixed by the constellations he’d begun to trace above his head. Feeling more at ease inside their skin, Judas stood up and stretched, joints popping in counterpoint with the air currents whistling around the two. Paying no mind to the height they were at, Judas neatly backflipped over the edge, effortlessly grabbing a balcony to break their fall.  
“It’s getting late,” they told Nine, “does Moon know you’re out?” Nine laughed, loudly for the time of night (or was it morning yet?) “They’d beat me ass if I disappeared and you know it, Judas,” he said, “I’d be more worried about Gerard waking up without you.”  
Judas suddenly imagined their partner coming into consciousness in a bed empty except for himself, panicking over their whereabouts. Without another word, they commenced the journey back, abandoning all pretext of caution for the sake of speed.  
Vaulting smoothly back through the window, they softly removed their coat and hung it up before getting back into bed as quietly as they could. Still fast asleep, Gerard snuggled towards Judas, who kissed his forehead and wrapped their arms around him.  
“If anyone thinks about touching him,” they whispered to no one in particular, “they die under suspicious circumstances.” Cradling their boyfriend as softly as they could, Judas kissed his cheeks, smiling as he mumbled and twitched in his sleep.


	3. Many Meetings (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so it's 11:30 and I'm only done with three out of the five pair meetings but I really wanted to get this out so here. oh! also Gerard, Noah, and Dave are adopted brothers because they deserve it

Noah had only shrugged the first time he was asked about his manifestation. As far as he knew, nothing about himself was out of the ordinary. His classmates were confused by his nonchalance, staring aghast at the boy they’d seen disappear from sight in the time it took to blink.  
The second time anyone showed interest in his abilities, he smiled politely and faded out of vision. A few blocks down the street, he let up the camouflage and continued on the path to his home. Walking in with his school bag, he nodded to Gerard and holed up in his room to think.  
By the third instance, he’d begun to expect it, waiting for a stranger to come along and try to glean details. What he didn’t expect at all, was a classmate’s mischievous grin accompanied by bright green hair to pop into his field of vision. “Can I, uhh.. Can i help you?”  
“That depends,” said Judas, with a hint of glee in their voice, “have you ever considered a career in assassination?”  
~~~  
Runo sighed heavily as she slowed the passage of time around her to avoid an incoming punch. Street thugs were always drawn to her for some reason she’d been unable to pinpoint, and always came to regret it. At this point in her life, it was more tiring than exciting like it had been when she was first discovering how to control her manifestation. Now it was just an everyday drill to keep her skills from dulling, over which she’d take theoretical magic essay assignments any day.  
“I thought you hated writing those,” Kitkat remarked, making her companion aware that she’d voiced her ramblings aloud. For good measure, Runo sighed again in lieu of replying. Kitkat just chuckled and nudged her shoulder playfully. “Hey, I have an idea,” she said. “Really?” answered the blonde, “that must be difficult for you.”  
“Hey!” yelped Kitkat in mock offense, “you’re so not getting any of my crepes tomorrow, you meanie.” The two stuck their tongues out at each other as they continued on their walk. “Seriously though,” the brunette continued, “you’re gonna love this. It’s illegal.”  
~~~  
Nine squinted critically at a copy the book the store he was in was advertising as the “greatest historical compendium of the century,” unwilling to either trust the review or take the time to properly investigate it before deciding whether he wanted it. “There’s got to be a better way to do this,” he muttered, putting the volume roughly back onto the display. “Excuse me,” said somebody behind him, “are you planning on buying that?” Nine turned to the purple-haired figure and made a face he hoped conveyed uncertainty. “Only if the damn thing’s worth the money,” he explained, “I have quality standards higher than the city walls on for these things.”  
The stranger smiled widely at his revelation, revealing an almost unsettling number of teeth. “If you ask me,” they said brightly, “it’s a piece of crap.” Nine growled in frustration before being interrupted again. “By the way, hello! I’m Moon. I know the contents of whatever book I choose.”  
Nine dutifully extended a hand to touch theirs, hiding his surprise at seeing another manifestor at his favourite bookshop. “Call me Nine,” he said evenly, letting a satisfied smirk spread across his face, “I sense fear and create illusions.” Moon’s eyes lit up disconcertingly and the excitement in their expression grew. Instead of looking uncomfortable and turning away like Nine had thought they would, they whistled softly in appreciation. “Do you think you could show me how it works?”


	4. Not Just Dreamers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the last two pair meetings, featuring silly idiots!

Dave tapped his foot impatiently as he waited beside the railway track for his train to Collua. Once he’d gotten to the big city, his life could begin for real. Cradling an orange i his hands, the small cat-eared boy glanced around at the other passengers waiting around him, all at least a decade older than him. He wrapped his coat tighter around himself, filled with sudden nervousness about the trip.  
When the train arrived, he carefully got on with his backpack and sat down, trying to fade out of sight so no one would sit next to him.  
“Excuse me?” A soft voice near him made Dave snap out of his trance staring out the window. Turning his head, he saw a boy who looked about his age, also carrying only a large backpack. “Can I sit with you?” asked the raven-haired boy, twirling his hair nervously around a finger. Surprised by someone looking as lost as he did, Dave nodded, which brought a relieved smile onto the other boy’s face.  
“Oh, thank goodness!” he exclaimed, settling himself next to the cat-eared boy, “I was worried I’d end up by myself or with a big scary adult… Oh! But enough of that,” he continued, “I’m Gerard, but you can call me Gee if you want. What’s your name?”  
Dave extended a hand politely towards Gerard, who took it gratefully. As they shook hands, the purple-haired boy scratched at his ears and replied “I’m Dave. It’s nice to meet you.”  
Gerard’s eyes lit up as he noticed the cat-like ears buried in Dave’s hair. “Hi Dave!” he said enthusiastically, “You probably hear this a lot but your hair and ears are so cool!! I wish I had something neat like that.” He grinned as he brought a small flame to life over his free palm, saying “As far as I know, this is all I can do.”  
Dave’s ears twitched excitedly as he stared at the flickering light in the other boy’s hand. “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!”  
~~~  
Pam turned to Quin with a smile on her face, and nudged her friend’s arm. “Hey Quiiiin,” she sing-songed, “do you wanna race?” Quin grinned at the proposition, responding with a firm, enthusiastic nod. Holding eye contact, the two dropped into sprinter’s positions, nodded, and started to run towards the cliffside.  
By a hair, Pam came in first, diving over the edge with a whoop of joy before returning to the top on a column of water. Quin shook her head teasingly, and said “Showoff,” with a playful eyeroll before sitting on the edge with her legs dangling. She’d never been afraid of heights, and felt even more secure having a friend with her who could control the very water below them.  
Pam carefully placed hereslef beside her friend and lay back to look up at the clouds. “You know what’s the best?” she asked, turning to look at Quin, who hummed thoughtfully in response. “I dunno what you think,” she admitted, “but I’d say you’re pretty high up there, right after having a best friend in general.”  
Pam gasped dramatically and lightly smacked Quin’s arm. “That’s so unfair,” she said, “I can’t compete with your flattery!” Quin giggled at her response before also lying down on the grass. “Still,” Pam continued, “I’d say it’s you, because you’re Quin and therefore amazing. Take that!”  
This time, it was Quin’s turn to act shocked. “How dare you!” she exclaimed, “I’ll have to give you a hug for stating these falsehoods!” Pam only smirked and dropped some seawater on Quin, who yelped before jumping onto the other girl. Laughing out loud, the two rolled back and forth alongside the cliffs, startling several seagulls in the vicinity with their usual antics.  
At sunset, they returned to their respective homes, knowing for certain they’d do nearly the same thing again the next day as well as the day after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep ending up writing these to old panic songs on repeat oops skafjskdjfasd feel free to ask for specific scenarios in the au btw!!


	5. Infinity Up High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noah's the plan guy. But you kind of need a group to make a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's where the plot is going to begin and continue mostly linearly from! I'll mark any offshoots and state when they are but I'm really excited to be getting a proper start!!

“Change of plans,” Runo announced into her wrist communicator as she rummaged through her pantry shelves for chocolate. “We’ve got a new job offer that cannot, I repeat, can _not_ be refused. You copy that, Reaper?”  
After a moment of silence, the device crackled softly, and she heard Nine say “I copy, Timekeeper. Over.” Sighing, Runo sat down and started to munch on a snack bar she’d uncovered. Through a couple quick minutes of tallying, she determined that the other Lobby members would arrive within the next 24 hours, with Pam and Quin being the last arrivals from their seaside outpost.  
With Nine relaying the message, she trusted that everyone would be alerted as soon as possible, and began setting up their “War Room” on her and Kitkat’s dining table. From under her bed, she recovered the group’s street map of Collua, mapped to the utmost accuracy from weeks of careful observation and measurement.  
Her wristcom buzzed again, and she tapped it absently as she continued to even out the map. “Timekeeper. What’s the news?” Uneven panting came through her end of the connection, accompanied by Gerard’s voice. “Hey Timekeeper! I’ve got just a, uh-“ A sudden clang cut off his sentence, and for a few seconds all Runo heard was muffled cursing.  
“Little bit of a problem here,” he continued, mostly failing to sound nonchalant, “nothing to worry about, just a- OW!” Runo started to softly bang her head against the wall. “Bonfire, please tell me you have a plan.” She was met with deafening silence, exactly as she’d expected.  
“Uhhhh, I’ll just call you back. Later!” As Gerard hung up, she rested her forehead on the wall. “Sometimes I regret agreeing to be the team mom,” she said, to no one in particularly. _Mrow_ , agreed her cat, or at least she assumed Oscar was agreeing since he tended to be highly intelligent.  
As she leaned down to scratch his head, she sighed heavily. “Sometimes you outclass my teammates, did you know that, Oscar?” He blinked a few times, meowed again, and started licking his paws. Chuckling, Runo quickly dialed Judas to see if they knew anything about Gerard’s predicament.  
“Stormcloud,” came their response, partially blurred from exhaustion, “what’s up?” “Hey,” said Runo, “it’s Timekeeper. Would you happen to have any idea where Bonfire is?” Judas yawned on the other end of the line before making a vague noise she interpreted as negative. “I think he went out to buy a shirt,” they mused, “why do you ask?”  
Runo just barely restrained herself from punching the wall, which really didn’t deserve any of these reactions, but just stood there anyway. “He called me to say he’s in trouble,” she started, “well, you know him, he didn’t say that.” Judas grunted in affirmation, knowing their boyfriend’s singular behaviours very well. “I’m on it,” they said, and hung up before Runo could add anything to their tasklist. _Damnit,_ she thought, _how the fuck am I going to get either of them here in a timely fashion now?_  
At that moment, she was distracted by a knock at the door, which she recognized as Noah’s signal. Relieved, she immediately went to let him in, visibly relaxing as he entered the house. Noticing that her hair was out of place from slamming her head on the wall, he raised an eyebrow. Runo grimaced at the fact he’d seen her discomfort, but told him about the Judas-and-Gerard situation anyway. After all, Noah was the likeliest aside from Dave and Judas to have proper insight into Gerard’s thought process. But even he came up empty-handed with a way for the other man to get in trouble.  
“It’s gotta be his talent,” he stated simply, putting on a pot of coffee, “I have no idea how he gets into these situations.”  
Just as the coffee (or “nectar of the gods,” as Gerard called it) finished dripping, a cacophonous symphony of knocking sounded. Runo listened carefully, and just barely managed to pick out two separate rhythms, Dave and Nine’s patterns. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she went to let them in and was knocked over by Nine, Dave, and Moon, who had been leaning on the door.  
“Seriously??” she demanded from her position being pressed into the floor. “Sorry!” said Moon, “I was trying to get one of them to stop knocking so you could hear better.” “Don’t you worry, Moon,” said Runo, “you’re an angel and I’m thrilled you’re here. This nitwit, on the other hand,” she continued, taking ahold of Dave’s shirt collar, “is going to kitty jail unless he apologizes.”  
Dave tried to look dignified despite his ears dropping in apology. When Runo glared lightly at him, he quit the act. “Sorry, Mum…” he said reluctantly, scratching ahsently behind his ears. “Apology accepted,” she said, and smiled at having two of her unofficial sons here already. “KITKAT!!” she yelled up the stairs, “WE HAVE _COMPANY!!!_ ”  
A series of unruly thumps came down, followed by the tall brunette popping out of the stairwell with a grin. “What’d I miss?” she asked. Noah popped his head in from the kitchen to say hello to everyone. “Oh, just Gee getting nearly getting himself kidnapped,” he said with a completely blank face. “Would you like some coffee?”


	6. Rescuers Down...... Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard has many talents: lighting fires, reading feelings through the slightest touch, and of course, getting himself into massive trouble.

Gerard scrambled up a wall and pressed himself flat against the roof. After taking a few moments to catch his breath, he dialed Runo again, cautious not to let too much of his body become visible to the street below. When she answered, he brightened up immediately. “Hey, Timekeeper,” he said brightly, “guess who!”  
Immediately, Runo sighed as heavily as he could. “Bonfire,” she said in her no-nonsense-whatsoever-if-you-want-dessert voice, “where the _hell_ are you? Do you have ANY idea?” Moving quickly and quietly, Gerard glanced over the edge of the roof in search of a landmark. Returning his attention to the comm, he delivered his prognosis, “Nope.”  
A brief silence came over the line, followed by Nine distantly saying “Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me.” Runo reclaimed her communicator to extract more details from Gerard, who was instantly distracted by scrabbling sounds from behind him. Looking over to confirm his suspicions, he saw one of his tails from earlier climbing the wall. “Oh fuck,” he said, rolling into a crouch, “that’s not good. Catch ya later, Timekeeper!” Before Runo could protest, he’d hung up on her again.  
Thinking fast, Gerard sprinted to the opposite corner of the roof he’d been sheltering on, and took a flying leap over the gap between his building and the next. Despite landing a little roughly, he continued on his path and slid down a gutter pipe.  
Carefully checking above and around him, he determined that he was safe for the moment, pulled a hood up over his head, and tried to find a busy roadway with a crowd he could slip into and disappear.  
As it turned out, he’d been chased far enough into the city’s outskirts that he had no easy hiding places aside from above, which was already compromised. Instead of fleeing again and possibly getting himself stuck somewhere even less accessible, he looked around for anywhere he could act casual.  
Within a few moments, he’d settled himself on top of a barrel of apples, watching the passersby with a carefully-crafted expression of boredom. Among the faces passing him, he noticed two that seemed to be searching for something, and tried to avert his eyes, but ended up locked in an intense stare.  
Against his better judgment, he jumped off the barrel and started to run again, hearing shouts and running feet behind him again. “Shit, shit, shit” he muttered under his breath, “damnit Noah, this would be a reeeeally good time for you to pop up!”  
Still slightly worn out from the earlier chase, Gerard was worried he didn’t have much time before he’d have to give in. Hoping to confuse whoever was chasing him, he took as many random turns and back alleys as he could before running smack-dab into a wall. Whirling around, he realized there was no way out aside from the way he’d come in, which was now blocked by his pursuers.  
Slowly reaching behind him, Gerard grabbed his emergency daggers, unsheathing them only when his back hit the wall. Immediately, the rooftop agent jumped onto him, knocking him over, the breath from his lungs, and the knives from his hands. As rough hands grabbed his shoulders and bare forearms, he gasped. “You’re scared,” he said, locking eyes with the nearest assailant.  
Grunting, the mystery figure hit the back of Gerard’s head with something hard, and he slumped against their hold as black spots creeped across his field of vision. Distantly, he heard a gruff voice say “Serves the brat right, leading us on a wild chase,” before he slipped into unconsciousness.  
An hour later, Judas had arrived at Runo and company’s house, sweaty and out of breath. “Gee’s not answering any calls or messages,” they said urgently, “ _something_ must have happened to warrant it.”  
One of their communication devices started to buzz, so they lifted it to their ear, cautiously saying “Hello?” In moments, their expression shifted from concern to sheer murderous rage before they angrily cut off the connection.  
“Good news,” they stated, turning to face the group with an eerie smile on their face and lightning in their eyes, “the bastards gave me a location, and they’re sure as hell not leaving it alive.”  
As Gerard resurfaced from unconsciousness, he became dully aware of manacles fastening his wrists to the back of a metal chair and a cotton blindfold lying over his eyes. Blearily, he tried to struggle against the restraints, unable to tear his thoughts away from Judas, _Judas, **Judas**_.


	7. Queue up Africa by Toto, you'll get it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have one braincell and it's devoted to Gerard angst right now

Judas stalked along the cobblestone streets. They stalked because there was no better descriptor for their demeanour, intensely predatory and hungry for… something. Whether they wanted blood, power, or something else was of no concern to their future victims, only to them.  
Pam struggled to keep pace with Judas’s longer legs and wound up half-trotting beside them. “Where are we heading?” she asked, hiding the mild effort it took to breathe while keeping up. Instead of answering, Judas pointed to the steeple of the church, visible from anywhere in the city.  
~~~  
In an abandoned basement of the building in question, Gerard was beginning to struggle weakly against the chains affixing his hands to the wall as he came to. Growling, he wrenched at the unyielding metal, which began to claw at his wrists when he tried to summon fire. Whatever they were, it was attuned to his magic and fighting against it.  
A low chuckle echoed across the room as the assassin realized the severity of his predicament, and a shrouded figure walked towards him. “That’s right, Gerard, you can’t do a thing here. And your little friends can’t save you now,” they said, standing just far enough away from Gerard that he was unable to attack them. “Not if they want you to live, of course,” they continued in a tone that sent ice crawling down Gerard’s spine. He should never have been so stupid.  
~~~  
Judas continued on their path without slowing, too preoccupied with worrying for their boyfriend to notice Pam’s struggles keeping up. Gods, they thought angrily, if they’ve touched a hair on his head… “Judas!” hissed Pam, tugging their sleeve, “You’re pulling storm clouds!” Snapping out of their trance, they worked to calm down and de-escalate the weather around them.  
Still, they wore a deep frown as the two Lobby members made a beeline for the old church. Something didn’t feel right about the situation, especially the confidence Gerard’s kidnapper had that he would be unable to escape. Judas was fully confident in his control of his manifestation, especially the fire aspect, and the only way he would fail was through being blocked from those powers.  
The more Judas thought, the more the possibilities of their adversary’s identity dwindled, leaving only a handful. Most prominent among them was the Pure One, leader of the officially government-sanctioned hitsquad against so-called criminals and evildoers. “Shit,” they muttered under their breath, clenching their hands so hard that every one of their knuckles was white, “shit, shit, SHIT.”  
~~~  
Gerard shivered in fear despite himself, and started shifting his body as close to the wall as he could, pressing his back against the cool stone as he tried to recenter himself. Desperately, he hoped that he could get himself out of the situation without endangering any of his friends, or especially Judas. The menacing figure walked closer to him before crouching with their face just inches away from his.  
“Oh, silly me,” they said laughing, “I haven’t even introduced myself.” They reached up a white-gloved hand the trace Gerard’s jawline, causing the man to flinch, which amused them even more. Leaning forward so their lips were right beside his ear, the whispered “You can call me the Pure One. I wouldn’t let someone like you dirty my real name by knowing it.”  
~~~  
Pam’s eyes half-glowed as she focused on the water she could sense near where she stood beside the church. She nodded sharply at Judas to indicate her readiness to proceed, and returned her attention to calling up what force she could gather. Since they were far inland, she was unable to access her preferred seawater, but the nearby population provided enough wells and sewers that she could manage well enough.  
While she concentrated on what was present, Judas drew upon the already-near rain-heavy clouds they’d previously summoned, this time intentionally and tho the fullest of their strength. As thunder rolled above them, they grinned sourly as they turned to Pam. “It’s time,” they stated simply, and let weather take over.  
As the rain began to pour down, Pam started to smirk, taking hold of the increasing amount of moisture in the air to increase her strength. Swinging out an arm, she sent a sheet of water into the tiny gaps in the wall’s mortar and pushed it towards the basement, careful not to leave anything wet.  
~~~  
Feeling the sudden dampness, Gerard started to feel hopeful. “Pam!” he exclaimed, looking directly into the Pure One’s eyes for the first time. “They’re here, you bastard,” he half-snarled, “and you’re so going to pay for this.” Cursing, the Pure One stood up and grabbed one of their underlings by the collar. “Go upstairs,” they said with deceptive calm, “find the intruders, and kill them. Do you understand?”  
Terrified and disoriented, the guard merely nodded nervously before running up the stairs as fast as he could. Behind him, the Pure One pulled a pristine knife from a white leather sheath inside their robe. “Time’s running out faster than I thought,” they commented, tossing the blade in their hand, “I wonder how much time I’ll have to play with you after all.”


	8. Stormbringer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> okay this is short but I finally wrapped up this arc so I can get to that good good found family, hope y'all enjoy

Pam squeezed her eyes shut as she focused her entire attention on the water and what surrounded it.Through it as a conduit, she was able to map out places she would never be able to see due to obstacles. A couple minutes after she’d started probing, she sensed figures standing on guard and distantly heard herself relaying the information to Judas, who nodded solemnly and headed for the entrance to follow her steps.  
A split second before their hand pushed against the door, they heard Gerard scream. Immediately, their eyes began to glow a bright, unearthly purple, and lightning struck the stones behind them. Without thinking, they obliterated the door with a gust of wind and launched their body into a dead sprint toward the depths of the temple.  
~~~  
Gerard hissed sharply at he figure crouching before him, defiance burning in his eyes. Despite his display, they chuckled lowly, an unsettling sound that rang too much across the large room. Slowly, deliberately, they cracked all the knuckles on both their hands, pretending not to notice Gerard’s attempts to wriggle free of his bindings.  
Grabbing ahold of his arm tightly, they leaned over him and let the knife glide down the front of his shirt, severing the buttons and sending them scattering across the floor. “Careful, pretty boy,” they said mockingly, “I have good aim, usually, but not if my target’s being jostled.”  
Carefully, Gerard pressed a finger to each of the chain links connected to the manacles around his wrists. The Pure One grinned at him as he ceased moving his body around wildly and flicked their wrist to follow the line of his jaw with their knifeblade. Gerard grimaced and pushed more effort into burning and melting the chains fighting to stay in control as his kidnapper continued to map out lines across his upper body. Despite his best efforts, the continued assault was causing him to hiss and let out other pained noises.  
Unsatisfied with these results, the Pure One began to cut deeper into Gerard’s skin, finally eliciting a scream that echoed around the chamber. In their distraction, however, they failed to notice the guards who were drowned at their posts.  
A massive crack of thunder finally jolted the Pure One from their focused state, and they turned around with a snarl, holding their knife at the ready. Judas’s hand wrapped around their wrist, pressing so that they were forced to drop the weapon. The colour of their eyes was invisible, covered by stormclouds and lightning. “Sorry I took so long, babe,” said Judas steadily, “we can get going now.  
With their free hand, Judas tapped their earpiece, clearly stating “Tsunami, I’ve got him. Sound the all clear.” Without a moment’s hesitation, they threw the Pure One into the far wall and ran to Gerard’s side, kneeling to cradle his face in their hands.  
“I’m sorry,” Gerard whispered, at the same time as Judas, “it’s my fault.” Judas began to stroke their boyfriend’s hair, whispering at him to shush. Reaching behind him, they quickly snapped the chains and scooped him carefully into their arms.  
Standing to leave, they turned to the Pure One, who was attempting to revive their guards. “The next time you touch one of ours,” said Judas coldly, “you lose that hand. Are we clear?” Without waiting for an answer, they strode out of the building to meet Pam and head to Runo’s.

**Author's Note:**

> So I hope this wasn't too confusing or anything, let me know if you want a specific intro chapter to address the circumstances and powers each member has!


End file.
